I still remember the smell. It was an odor that one could never forget, and it was stuffed down my pants in a plastic Kroger grocery bag. Growing up in Plymouth-Canton, Michigan, I was a young, ambitious, rabid hockey fan. The Detroit Red Wings were my childhood team, sparked by the presence of the legendary Steve Yzerman. At 18 years old, I had already suffered through my fair share of monumental losses at the old Joe Louis Arena, but that only helped grow my fandom. The Red Wings were, arguably, entering the prime of their 90s dynasty, and Motown was rocking as they faced the Colorado Avalanche in the 1996 Western Conference Final. As a senior in high school and fearless at the time, I had always been enamored by the quirky traditions that my favorite Original Six team was famous for.
I don’t remember the exact date when I first saw a large amount of slime hurled onto the JLA ice. I had no clue what was happening, but as a huge fan of the Nickelodeon show “Double Dare,” I was instantly intrigued. I went on to learn that the tradition started on April 15, 1952, when Pete and Jerry Cusimano, brothers and storeowners in Detroit’s Eastern Market, hurled an octopus onto the ice of Olympia Stadium. The questionable stunt originated during the playoffs when a National Hockey League team played two best-of-seven series to capture the Stanley Cup. Having eight arms, the octopus symbolized the number of playoff wins necessary for the Red Wings to win the championship, and they did just that in 1952.
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The tradition died down for many years as the Red Wings struggled through the 1970s and 1980s, or, as some hockey historians call it, “The Dead Things” era. I remember telling myself, “You only live once,” as I was much more daring and carefree during those teenage years. What better way to impress my girlfriend’s parents than to sneak one of these into the JLA during the 1996 Western Conference Finals between the Colorado Avalanche and Red Wings?
Gameday
It was May 27, 1996, Game 5, and I ran this idea by my grandmother. The Big “G,” as she called herself, always supported my crazy love for sports in any way she could. We drove out to a particular fish market in Royal Oak that specialized in frozen squid and purchased the largest one that they had. It was enormous and reeked with an overwhelming “fishy” smell. My grandma explained to the store owner what I was doing, and before we could leave, he offered me this tip: “Make sure you boil the octopus before you take it to the game.” I looked at my bag of “slime” and said, “ok,” having no clue what I was in store for. It turned out the old man was right.
Later that day, we met at the girlfriend’s house and started putting our plan into action. But first, I would give that advice a test run. We waited as the water boiled and then dropped the bag of “slime” in, and within moments, we knew that this was a key aspect that most people have been missing in their attempt to throw this rare sea creature. The octopus began to take shape and turned a pretty, solid, dark purple color. But it actually looked like an octopi instead of that “Double Dare” slime. We then cut red and white ribbons and attached them to each of the eight tentacles so my friends could see which one was mine on television.
But how was I going to get this thing into Joe Louis Arena? During the mid-1990s, the staff at “The Joe” was much more “lenient” when it came to customers bringing dead seafood to toss at games. Security would give you a smirk if they caught you with one and let you by with that “don’t do anything stupid look.” Nowadays, it’s an automatic ejection from the building, as we’ve seen in recent weeks, with one fan in Calgary getting a $250 fine. Inflation is real people.
I lurched up those never-ending stairs that welcomed you to the arena with this boiled squid in a plastic grocery bag that was double-wrapped with tin foil and plastic. But guess what? It still stunk. I could hear numerous fans complaining in those tight, noisy corridors about an “awful” odor that just so happened to be emanating from my jeans. But the adrenaline was flowing as the Red Wings were playing a pivotal game, trailing the Avalanche 3-1 in the series. For those who remember – the early days of this rivalry were the talk of the town as Detroit began its journey into becoming one of the top dynasties in recent memory.
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As we sat down, the anxiety began to kick in. How long would I have to wait for something good to happen? What if the Red Wings get shut out, and I have to sit the entire game with this boiled squid between my legs? The fans in the row in front of me began complaining about the “aroma,” and I started to get very uncomfortable. Maybe this was a bad idea? I lingered as my girlfriend and her parents gleefully laughed while I struggled with my decision to do this. I couldn’t wait much longer.
But as luck would have it, my wait became short-lived as Red Wings’ forward Slava Kozlov beat Avalanche goaltender Patrick Roy at the 11:35 mark in the first period to open the scoring for Detroit. Now was my time. It was now or never as I raced two sections over from where I was sitting while the crowd erupted in celebration. I quickly set up shop right behind the Avalanche goal and pulled the bag from my pants. Fans in the area could now tell what I was doing and were cheering me on. I ripped apart the packaging, and the biggest piece of seafood I’d ever seen emerged. The nerves began to kick in. Would I be able to launch this thing far enough? What if I missed? But as fate would have it, I didn’t. I bent down and threw it with everything I had, grenade style even, and joyfully watched as the red and white ribbons flailed as it sailed over the glass. It landed, right in front of Roy.
Now What
My octopus was one of many, as about a dozen or so other fans came to the Joe with the same plan. But mine stood out as the largest and was one of the few that was actually boiled instead of tossed as just “slime.” The ribbons added that extra flair as well. Now the party was over. I had to run. I jetted up the lower bowl section and into the corridors; my heart was racing a mile a minute as I tried to blend in with the crowd. It became apparent, to my immediate relief, that I wouldn’t be caught, so I returned to my seat and cheered on as Detroit downed Colorado 5-2 to force a Game 6. We all know what happened next in the series, but for me, it was a bucket list victory. Even at such a young age, I really appreciated the opportunity to do this just once. The Red Wings are rolling at this time and currently occupy the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. Fans are getting giddy for a return to the playoffs after an eight-year hiatus. The Octopi have begun to fly again in the Motor City, and Red Wings followers couldn’t be happier.
